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Details

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Pages	26
Diagrams	53
Tables	06
Do you know	08
Flow Chart	02
Info graphics	02
Info box	16
Book Back one mark questions	21
Book back 2 ,3 & 5 marks questions	35

NEET questions

Glossary

ICT corner

English-Tamil terminology

Reference books

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Ecology

“Ecology” - oekologie is derived from two Greek words.

oikos - meaning house or dwelling place.

logos - meaning study.

first proposed by Reiter (1868).

widely accepted definition by Ernest Haeckel (1869).

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Fathers of Ecology

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Alexander vonHumboltFather of Ecology

Eugene P.Odum

Father ofmodrenEcology

RamdeoMisra

Father of Indian Ecology

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Definitions of ecology

“The study of living organisms, both plants and animals, in their natural habitats or homes.”

- Reiter (1885)

“Ecology is the study of the reciprocal relationship between living organisms and their environment.”

- Earnest Haeckel (1889)

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Ecological hierarchy�(Ecological levels of organization)

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Individual organism

Population

Community

Ecosystem

Landscape

Biome

Biosphere

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Branches of Ecology

1. Autecology(Species ecology) - Ecology of an individual species.

2. Synecology(Community ecology) - Ecology of a population.

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Habitat and Niche

Habitat

A specific physical place occupied by an organism.

The environment of any community is called Biotope.

Niche

An organism’s place in the biotic environment and its functional role in an ecosystem.

Term by Roswell Hill Johnson.

Grinell (1917) use this term.

The habitat and niche of any organism is called Ecotope.

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Ecological equivalents

Taxonomically different species occupying similar habitats (Niches) in different geographical regions

Example: Epiphytic orchids and Grasslands

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Ecological factors

Climatic factors
Edaphic factors
Topographic factors
Biotic factors

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Climatic Factors

Light –

Effects on plants

Tolerance to intensities of light

1. Heliophytes

2. Sciophytes

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Light, Temperature, Water, Wind and Fire.

Color	Wave length	Effects on photosynthesis
Blue	400 -500 nm	Maximum
Red	600 -700 nm	Maximum
Green	500 -600 nm	Minimum

visible part of light 400 nm (violet) to 700 nm (red)

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Temperature

Minimum temperature
Optimum temperature
Maximum temperature

Raunkiaer world’s vegetation - megatherms, mesotherms, microtherms and hekistotherms.
Thermal tolerance - Eurythermal ,Stenothermal

Thermal Stratification

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Temperature based zonation

Latitude Altitude

Timber line / Tree line - about 3000 to 4000m.
Effects of temperature

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Water

Range of tolerance of salinity – Euryhaline, Stenohaline

Tolerance of Environmental factor

Phytoremediation.

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Atmospheric moisture, Precipitation and Soil water.

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Wind

The composition of gases in atmosphere.
Green House Effect Albedo Effect.
Effects of wind.

Flag form in trees

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Fire

Ground fire
Surface fire
Crown fire

Effects of fire

Indicators of fire - Fire break - Rhytidome

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Edaphic factors

The soil

Soil formation
Soil types - Residual soils and Transported soils .

Edaphic factors which affect vegetation

Soil moisture
Soil water
Soil reactions
Soil nutrients
Soil temperature
Soil atmosphere
Soil organisms

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Soil Profile soil particles

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Halophytes
Psammophytes
Lithophytes
Chasmophytes
Cryptophytes
Cryophytes
Oxylophytes
Calciphytes

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Topographic factors

Latitudes and altitudes
Direction of Mountain
Steepness of the mountain

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surface features of earth

Latitudes and altitudes

Steepness of the mountain

Ecotone and Edge effect

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Biotic factors

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interactions among living organisms

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Mutualism

Water fern (Azolla) and Nitrogen fixing Cyanobacterium (Anabaena ).
Anabaena present in coralloid roots of Cycas. (Gymnosperm)
Cyanobacterium (Nostoc) found in the thalloid body of Anthoceros.(Bryophytes)
Wasps present in fruits of fig.
Lichen is a mutual association of an alga and a fungus.
Roots of terrestrial plants and fungal hyphae- Mycorrhiza

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(+) (+)

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Commensalism

Epiphytes

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(+) (0)

An epiphytic plant-Vanda

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Predation

Drosera (Sun dew Plant)
Nepenthes (Pitcher Plant)
Diaonaea (Venus fly trap)
Utricularia (Bladder wort)
Sarracenia

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(+) (-)

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Parasitism

Holoparasites (or) total parasites.
Hemiparasites (or) partial parasites.

Viscum and Loranthus are partial stem parasites.

Santalum (Sandal Wood) is a partial root parasite.

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(+) (-)

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Competition

Intraspecific competition
Interspecific competition

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(-) (-)

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Amensalism

Penicillium notatum (penicillin) inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus.
Trichoderma inhibits the growth of fungus Aspergillus.

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(-) (0)

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Interspecific interactions/ Co-evolutionary dynamics

Mimicry

floral mimicry - Ophrys an orchid

protective mimicry - Carausium morosus

Myrmecophily

Co-evolution

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a) Phyllium frondosum b) Carausium morosus

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Ecological adaptations

Hydrophytes
Xerophytes
Mesophytes
Epiphytes
Halophytes

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Hydrophytes

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living in water or wet places

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Morphological adaptations�Anatomical adaptations�Physiological adaptations

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Xerophytes

Physical dryness and Physiological dryness
Ephemerals, Succulents and Non succulent

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Living in dry or xeric conditions

Argemone mexicana

Aloe

Ziziphus

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Morphological Adaptations

Anatomical adaptations

Physiological adaptations

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Phylloclade – opuntia

Non succulent - Capparis

Cladode - Asparagus

Phyllode – Acacia

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Mesophytes

Morphological Adaptations
Anatomical adaptations
Physiological adaptations

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living in moderate conditions

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Epiphytes

Morphological Adaptations
Anatomical adaptations
Physiological adaptations

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Grow perched on other plants

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Halophytes

Morphological Adaptations
Anatomical adaptations
Physiological adaptations

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Succulent halophyte - Salicornia

Vivipary germination

Pneumatophores of mangrove plant

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Dispersal of Fruits and Seeds

Dispersal by Wind (Anemochory)
Dispersal by Water (Hydrochory)
Dispersal by Animals (Zoochory)
Dispersal by Explosive Mechanism (Autochory)

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dissemination of seeds and fruits to various distances

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Dispersal by Wind (Anemochory)�

Adaptation

Minute seeds - Orchids.
Wings - Maple, Gyrocarpus, Dipterocarpus and Terminalia
Feathery Appendages - Vernonia and Asclepias.
Censor mechanisms - Aristolochia and Poppy.

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Asclepias

Gyrocarpus

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Dispersal by Water (Hydrochory)

Obconical receptacle with prominent air spaces – Nelumbo.
Fibrous mesocarp - Coconut.
Seeds are light, small with aril – Nymphaea.
Fruits inflated - Heritiera littoralis.
Carried by water current - Coconut.

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Nelumbo

Coconut

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Dispersal by Animals (Zoochory)�

Hooked fruits - hooks,(Xanthium), barbs (Andropogon), spines (Aristida).
Sticky fruits and seeds

Sticky glandular hairs - Boerhaavia and Cleome.

Viscid layer - Cordia and Alangium.

Fleshy fruits - Mango and Diplocyclos

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Sunflower

Papaya

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Dispersal by Explosive Mechanism (Autochory)�

Great force - Impatiens (Balsam), Hura.
Burst suddenly with a noise - Ruellia and Crossandra.
Explode with a loud noise - Bauhinia vahlii (Camel’s foot climber).
High turgor pressure develops insid e the fruit - Ecballium elatrium (Squirting cucumber) Gyrocarpus and Dipterocarpus.

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Ecballium elatrium

Impatiens

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Human aided seed dispersal

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Advantages of seed dispersal

�Seed Ball

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THANK YOU

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